Manufactured Lean in the USA

Rollability Tips

Ergonomic considerations are always top of mind. As the U.S. workforce ages and workmen's compensation costs climb, selecting a caster with high rollability is a smart choice to reduce stress on joints, prevent back injuries, and better accommodate staff. Wheel size is the single biggest factor in rollability. Larger wheels are easier to push or pull under load. Test data is available to determine what size and tread type is best for any given load and ergonomic parameters.

Capacity Selection Tips

Be sure to add the weight of the cart, trailer, or AGV in addition to the weight of the load. Also consider the possibility of overload, shock loading, abuse or poor floor conditions into your calculation. Then it may seem obvious to divide the maximum load weight by four casters, but this can lead to heavy miscalculations. Why? Because most loads don't maintain an even weight across the length and width of the vehicle. An off-center load could overload even the most durable casters.

Shock Loading Tips

Shock loading occurs when a load is dropped onto the trailer. Or when a rig rolls over a bump, like a concrete joint, door jam, dock plate or leveler. In some cases, shock loading can force a wheel to bear more than three times the weight of the load.

Operating Environment Tips

Where is it rolling? Environmental conditions must be considered when choosing a caster or wheel. For example, if excessive noise is an issue, Hamilton offers quiet-rolling wheels with high load capacities. Extremely hot or cold applications may require special caster and wheel materials, and bearing lubricants, to withstand the conditions.

Abuse Tips

Abuse takes a toll on casters. We like to believe that everyone uses them as intended, but we also understand that's not always the reality. Sometimes workers move too quickly, take short cuts, or even take out frustrations on them. Keep this in mind when selecting equipment.

The Effects on Floors

Poor floor conditions can cause a caster or wheel to fail, but don't underestimate the effect wheels can have on floors, too. Very hard wheels, such as cast iron or forged steel, roll easily and carry higher capacities than resilient tread wheels. But, they can damage concrete floors and lead to costly repairs.

Rollability Tips

Ergonomic considerations are always top of mind. As the U.S. workforce ages and workmen's compensation costs climb, selecting a wheel with high rollability is a smart choice to reduce stress on joints, prevent back injuries, and better accommodate staff. Wheel size is the single biggest factor in rollability. Larger wheels are easier to push or pull under load. Test data is available to determine what size and tread type is best for any given load and ergonomic parameters.

Capacity Selection Tips

Be sure to add the weight of the cart, trailer, or AGV in addition to the weight of the load. Also consider the possibility of overload, shock loading, abuse or poor floor conditions into your calculation. Then it may seem obvious to divide the maximum load weight by four wheels, but this can lead to heavy miscalculations. Why? Because most loads don't maintain an even weight across the length and width of the vehicle. An off-center load could overload even the most durable wheels.

Shock Loading Tips

Shock loading occurs when a load is dropped onto the trailer. Or when a rig rolls over a bump, like a concrete joint, door jam, dock plate or leveler. In some cases, shock loading can force a wheel to bear more than three times the weight of the load.

Operating Environment Tips

Where is it rolling? Environmental conditions must be considered when choosing a wheel. For example, if excessive noise is an issue, Hamilton offers quiet-rolling wheels with high load capacities. Extremely hot or cold applications may require special wheel materials, and bearing lubricants, to withstand the conditions.

Abuse Tips

Abuse takes a toll on wheels. We like to believe that everyone uses them as intended, but we also understand that's not always the reality. Sometimes workers move too quickly, take short cuts, or even take out frustrations on them. Keep this in mind when selecting equipment.

The Effect on Floors

Poor floor conditions can cause a wheel to fail, but don't underestimate the effect wheels can have on floors, too. Very hard wheels, such as cast iron or forged steel, roll easily and carry higher capacities than resilient tread wheels. But, they can damage concrete floors and lead to costly repairs.

Hamilton helped NASA build a rover to land on Mars. Now we’re helping humans get there. NASA is using our custom circular dolly to cart a mockup of the Orion Spacecraft capsule for parachute testing.

The goal of Project Orion is to eventually launch four astronauts to the Moon, and then to the Red Planet 352 million miles away from Earth. Using our custom dolly, NASA can move the space capsule from the testing facility and into a plane for a high-altitude airdrop test.

An enormous suspension bridge and a 10,000-ton U.S. Navy destroyer have two things in common. They're both modern marvels forged by thousands of tons of steel. And they're built with Hamilton's heavy-duty casters. That's the root of our latest ad campaign, "The Toughest Casters on the Planet," you'll see in major manufacturing publications. At the core of heavy industry, there's a Hamilton. Here's a sneak peek:

We've told you why you shouldn't skimp on running gear. Now here's why the guts of our HPI™ (Hamilton Precision Integrated) bearings make the smoothest and best-swiveling casters we've ever built. Unlike standard swivel casters supported by ball bearings, we use 54 rollers in ours (the industry average is less than half of this). Each roller makes contact with our ultra-smooth (16 microns), upper and lower raceways. The increased number of contact points on super-smooth surfaces allows our casters to swivel easier than any competing product on the market.

Superior swiveling means fewer workplace injuries, longer cart lifetime and less downtime caused by inferior running gear. HPI is now standard on the following models:

All of Hamilton's trucks, trailers, casters and wheels undergo rigorous, 24/7 testing to ensure their safety and durability in manufacturing's toughest industries. Too bad these famous auto clunkers didn't do the same:

Yugo: Sometimes, price does matter. A brand-new Yugo cost around $4,000 in 1987. It was also the slowest car on the market, and couldn't meet the EPA's emission standards, which led to its demise.

Ford Pinto: These days, its name means "worst car ever," but back in 1970 it was touted as Ford's answer to fuel-savvy Americans. Unfortunately, poor structural design doomed this dud from the start, leading to recalls and its discontinuation.

AMC Gremlin: Dubiously named after imaginary creatures that sabotage aircraft, this "pioneering hatchback" was canned in 1978 after eight years on the market.

DeLorean DMC-12: Unlike the Yugo, this one-hit wonder was priced too high. Famous for its gull-wing doors and appearance in the "Back to the Future" movie, this sports car cost the 2012 equivalent of $63,000 but lacked the speed and performance to justify the price tag.

Still own one of these one-hit wonders? You probably can't sell it on eBay, but at least you won't have to go through it with our casters. Read more on the AllState blog.